What I didn't know was I was deeply attracted to the big space.
I had always planned to make a large painting of the early spring, when the first leaves are at the bottom of the trees, and they seem to float in space in a wonderful way. But the arrival of spring can't be done in one picture.
I'm very attracted to the great open spaces of the West.
I've always been interested in space in pictures. I think my going deaf increased my spatial sense, because I can't get the direction of sound. I feel that I see space very clearly, and that's because I can't hear it. So it's a compensatory thing.
Being able to draw means being able to put things in believable space. People who don't draw very well can't do that.
Photography sees surfaces, it doesn't see space. We see space but the camera doesn't.
The camera can't see space. It sees surfaces. People see space, which is much more interesting.